


little aches and pains

by catpoop



Series: Sheith Month 2018 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, M/M, Massage, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Overworked shewo, Sharing a Bed, kef take care of IRRESPONSIBLE bf, keith forces him to rest, shiro is in denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 17:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15124487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catpoop/pseuds/catpoop
Summary: Sheith Month '18 - 2/7: HeadacheShiro has always been good at keeping his weaknesses to himself, but unluckily for him, Keith is currently watching him like a hawk from across the room





	little aches and pains

**Author's Note:**

> do u spot a trend in the fics so far bc i spot a trend
> 
> edit: thank you to enzetto for drawing some gorgeous [art](http://dame-enzetto.tumblr.com/post/175498545400/for-catpoop-click-here-for-fic)!!!  
> whooooooooooooa

The slight spasm of his eyelid is an obvious tell, but Shiro likes to think no one will ever notice. Keith narrows his gaze, fingers stilling on his own tablet. All of them are having a day off to rest and recuperate, which often means research and studying up on combat techniques for _some_ of them. The mindless little puzzle game on Keith’s screen is slow-paced and currently paused, but from his observations, Shiro’s own _whatever_ has involved rapid typing and only rapid typing for the past few hours. 

There’s not much to be done when you’re forced into a position to take care of a big, irresponsible adult man who thinks he knows best, but sometimes Keith has to take action. 

He leans forwards in his seat, pins his gaze on Shiro’s left eyelid, and watches as it does a funny little dance on one of two overworked eyeballs. 

What’s not funny is the crease of concentration etched into his forehead, the uncomfortable hunch of his back, and what must be persistently cramping fingers flying over the keyboard.

“Hey, Shiro?” He asks, casual. The puzzle game chirps a reminder and he shuts it off with a swipe of a finger.

It takes a pause before Shiro responds with a distracted, “Yeah?”

“What’ve you been working on?”

“…Things.” Shiro looks even deeper in concentration than before, if possible. His eyelid twitches again.

“Uhuh? Do you wanna take a break? I bet Hunk’s cooked up something nice again.”

That’s what he says, but Keith has no intention of watching as Shiro continues to work while idly munching on some alien snack. It’s _straight_ to the bedroom to get some shuteye, if he can fight his way past Shiro’s determination. 

“Sounds great, but why don’t you go first? I’ll stop by later.”

Stupid deflecting Shiro.

“Or what?” Keith says pointedly. “What’s so important you can’t stop working on it?

He picks up his tablet and walks to the couch that he had first found Shiro in, frowning and typing the same way he is now. The frown’s eased a little, but not by much. The seat cushion bounces as Keith heavily sits down and, as obnoxiously as he can, leans into Shiro’s personal space to prod at his tablet.

“Hey – !”

It’s, as expected, a familiar looking battle plan. Beneath that, blueprints of the castle’s weapons and defences. Another, a map of past intergalactic trade routes and alliances.

“Keith, c’mon. It’s just a few things and then I’ll go join you and Hunk in the kitchen.”

“It’s not that.” At his voice, Shiro turns to look – properly look – at him. “You’ve been having another one of those stupid headaches, right?”

“I – uh – no?” Shiro looks guilty and irritated at once.

“Yes you do. Your eye only twitches when you’ve been working too much, and when you work too much you get headaches.”

“I – don’t. No I don’t.” He looks guiltier than before as Keith scowls at him.

“How do you even focus with your headaches?” He remembers Shiro during their Garrison years, complaining about his throbbing head after pulling all-nighters. They’d always been a hindrance, but the Shiro in front of him looks entirely unaffected.

“Practise. Necessity.”

“It’s –” Keith sighs, “It’s not a necessity right now. Not today, you should be resting.”

“Keith. Don’t you understand the severity of the situation we are in?”

“What’s severe –” Keith punctuates this with a finger in Shiro’s face, “ – is how badly you’re hurting yourself by prioritising work over everything.” It hurts him, too, seeing the previously joyful man reduced to a shell, if a composed one, of his past self.

Shiro runs a tired hand through his fringe. “This isn’t the proper place to be arguing like this.”

And that’s true, because the two of them are seated in one of the public common areas, though currently devoid of anyone else.

Keith seizes on the opportunity. “Then let’s move to your room and we can sort this out.”

“I –” Shiro rises somewhat reluctantly to his feet as Keith tugs on a bicep, deactivating his tablet for the first time in hours. “Fine. But you’ll let me finish this off once it’s settled.”

Keith hums in agreement.

They take the shortest route through the corridors until they reach Shiro’s room, door opening to a neatly made bed and spartan walls. Keith doesn’t release the vice-like grip he has on Shiro until they’re both seated on the bed, with Shiro in more of a reluctant recline.

“Keith…”

“Shh.” He eases a hand into the dip of Shiro’s shoulder and pulls him down towards his lap. “Just lie back and relax.”

“And?”

It’s not like he has something nefarious planned. Keith rolls his eyes at the wariness in Shiro’s voice. “I’m not going to steal you away from your responsibilities for ever. It’s just a quick headache cure.”

“…Fine.” Awkwardly, Shiro lies down so that his head rests comfortably on one thigh as Keith gazes down at him. At the sincere look in his eyes, he can’t help but mutter a “Thanks, Keith.”

“It’s alright. I’m just making sure you don’t die a young and irresponsible death.”

It’s obvious they both have different definitions for the word ‘quick’, but Keith is glad to see that just after a minute of him pressing his fingertips into Shiro’s temples, he no longer looks ready to sit up and leave at any second. Grey eyes shutter closed and the man finally appears a little more at peace with the situation. 

Keith is by no means an expert at this, having merely observed one foster parent or another giving him the same exact massage after his own stress-filled outbursts. But it works whenever he tries it himself, and if the loosening in Shiro’s limbs and the knots of his shoulders is any indication, he’s doing something right.

Shiro shifts, lets out a deep exhale, and goes back to peaceful slumber. Keith’s tempted to join him in falling asleep, but the heavy weight on his thigh means there’s little he can do but continue. Hopefully by the time he’s forced to shift his slowly numbing leg, Shiro’s headache will have eased just a bit.

“You still thinking about working right now?” He murmurs to the soft wrinkling of Shiro’s brows. There’s no response – testimony to the blatant fatigue he had been working under.

Keith continues, “We should… we should go on that cross-country trip you always talked about before. Wouldn’t have any time to work on anything then.”

Suddenly, he feels an ache in his chest for the country that he’s never really called home, states he’s flitted to and from in search of an anchor. Shiro has always found something more to love about it, and this would – this would be the perfect detour, if only they had the time. Keith’s fingers are starting to numb with the repetitive press-rub and Shiro has snuggled one cheek into the meat of his thigh like he’s ready to sleep through the rest of the day. 

Slowly, he leans for the nearest pillow, cradling Shiro’s head and shifting aside to properly tuck the man into bed. Shiro gives barely a flicker of consciousness at the treatment and he breathes a sigh of relief. It’s probably overkill to continue watching to make sure Shiro gets proper rest, but Keith wriggles his way into a spot by his side nevertheless, hooks an arm and a leg over Shiro’s broad outline, and melts into an easy sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> comment if u want to offer to be my sugar daddy or my ghostwriter


End file.
